Home Blog Page 172

Man quits drugs after 20 years, says it’s possible

TellZim News
-
0
Man quits drugs after 20 years, says it’s possible

Admire Chatindo

A 32 year old man who was a drug addict and quitted after 20 years has said though his journey was not easy, it was just possible and encouraged others involved in drugs to quit before it was too late.
George Mahlahla spoke to TellZim News at an Anti- Drug organized by ZRP and other stakeholders at Mamutse stadium recently.
He said started he taking drugs at the age of 13, when he was a seventh grader. He continued to indulge in drugs until he was expelled from school in form 2 because of mischief but that didn’t stop him as he continued taking more drugs.
He said he had to stop going to school for three years and during this three year period he had abandoned thoughts of continuing with school.
He then relocated to Harare and decided to continue with school where he did form 3 – 4 and passed four subjects including bible knowledge, but he never turned to God.
“I started taking drugs at the age of 13, I did my primary school at Runyararo primary and my secondary education at Ndarama Secondary and I was expelled when I was in form 2 and I stayed for 3 years without going to school.
“I then relocated to Harare and decided to continue with school and I passed four subjects at form 4 but by then I was now getting drugs in Mbare and I had to spend more of my time there taking drugs with friends,” he said.
Mahlahla said he abused every drug that was available including; crystal meth, marijuana and would inject some of these drugs into his blood stream.
The drugs had a negative bearing on him physically, he lose weight terribly, his skin color turned black, always sick, and got even more sick when he tried to stop.
“I used to take crystal meth, broncleer, pills, skunk, marijuana and I would use syringe to inject some of the substances into my blood stream.
Physically, I lost weight, my skin color was black completely, always feeling sick and dropping when I couldn’t get the drugs, I was affected physically.
“After taking drugs I would become energetic and the feeling back then was ‘pleasurable’ and led me to take more drugs” he said.
In trying to stop he resorted to, distance himself from friends of bad influence on taking drugs, and the more he tried to resist the temptation of drugs, the more the appetite to take would get hold of him;
“It was hard for me to stop taking drugs, I had to isolate myself from friends with whom I used to take drugs with, out of the community, chose to be alone
The more I wanted to stop the more those drug friends would come and offered me the substance for free” he said.
Mahlahla said was almost impossible for him to leave drugs, and said the journey to freedom from drugs was a fight against self, as cravings become more and friends would come in the period when he was reforming, giving him free drugs and money was also readily available;
“It’s not easy, it’s not an easy road, I have to say it, the more you want to come out of it the more you need more of drugs
You will be fighting against your own decision to leave drugs, the more you want to leave them, the more they are at your disposal and money to purchase them is available, more friends and more people willing to give you drugs freely” said Mahlahla
Mahlalha said he later managed and he is now a man of the cloth, a church pastor at a local church and he is inspirited to conscientious those into drugs to stop taking them as nothing is gleaned by taking them but with one’s strong, personal decision to leave drugs;
“I am now a pastor at Alliance church and I graduated as a man of the cloth.
I am now here to educate those who are taking drugs, and those planning to start taking drugs that, you benefit nothing in them. You have to make a strong decision and stop. Make a decision and sought for help from pastors or rehab centers,” he said.

EMPLOYEE WELLBEING, A KEY FACTOR TO ORGANISATIONAL PRODUCTIVITY.

TellZim News
-
0
EMPLOYEE WELLBEING, A KEY FACTOR TO ORGANISATIONAL PRODUCTIVITY.

By Tsitsi Machengere

We live in a fast-paced, high-stress world, and it is no wonder the impact of employee well-being on productivity is a topic that has gained increasing attention in recent years. Every organization that is serious about productivity consider prioritizing employee wellbeing as more than just a trend for it is a proven way to increase productivity and employee retention.

Approaches to employee wellbeing must take a holistic approach to ensure that they cover on the physical, mental, emotional, and social wellbeing for employees to thrive and bring their best selves to work, for the company’s benefit. There is empirical evidence that factors such as job satisfaction, work-life balance, and stress levels can have a significant impact on an employee’s productivity and performance.  This is important for businesses to understand, as it can have a direct impact on productivity.

Studies have shown that when employees have good mental health, they are more likely to be engaged, motivated, and productive at work. A study by McKinsey found that employees who are engaged in their work take fewer sick days and have lower turnover rates. This is because when employees are mentally healthy, they have the emotional resources to deal with stress and are better able to focus on their tasks. However, employees with poor mental health experience, trouble staying on task or paying attention to detail and also have difficulties in decision making, problem

To ensure their wellbeing, employees should prioritize making time for rest and relaxation, maintaining a healthy lifestyle, and cultivating a positive outlook on life.  It is also important that one finds a job that is a good fit for their skills and interests, as this can lead to greater job satisfaction and increased productivity. A study conducted by the Harvard Business Review in 2020 found that employees who reported being happy in their roles were up to 20% more productive than their counterparts who reported to be unhappy thus

Physical wellbeing is a vital determinant of productivity in the workplace. Taking breaks during the workday can improve focus and creativity and this has been proven Stanford University’s 2017 in a study on employee wellbeing, which found out that taking regular breaks can increase productivity by as much as 13% in comparison to marathon shifts without breaks in-between.

As much as rest is important to physical wellness, it is also important to one’s mental wellness. Getting enough sleep is essential for productivity as it allows the brain to repair itself and restore cognitive function. Additionally, making time for hobbies and leisure activities outside of work can also improve well-being and job satisfaction, which in turn leads to high employee productivity.

It is important for employers to inculcate a culture of openness and acceptance around mental health issues in order to create a workplace culture that prioritizes employee wellbeing. This ensures that employees feel comfortable discussing mental health, and get assurance that be support is given they disclose any mental health challenges. In support of such initiatives, employers can provide access to mental health resources, such as employee assistance programme or counseling services as well as create policies and procedures that support employees struggling with mental health issues.

After all is said, it is critical for both the employer and employee to collaborate and ensure that employee wellbeing is prioritized for the good of the organization and the individual as well. In so doing, a holistic approach focusing on both the individual and the work environment must be taken and this approach can lead to increased productivity, as well as happier and healthier employees.

About the author: Mrs Tsitsi Machengere is a Master of Science in Counselling Psychology Student, Great Zimbabwe University, with over a decade in the Human Resources Management field. She may be contacted at tmachengere@gzu.ac.zw

Climate Change: Poultry farmers feel the heat

TellZim News
-
0
Climate Change: Poultry farmers feel the heat

Beverly Bizeki

With an El Nino season forecasted in the 2023/24 farming period ,experienced poultry farmers in Masvingo are feeling the heat with a high mortality of birds due to heat related stress.
Ngonidzashe Manyeka a poultry farmer in Masvingo recounts his losses as he has lost 50 chicks from a batch of 200 due to heat related stress and is not sure how to help the situation.
“I have lost 50 chicks on a batch of 200. The excessive heat experienced is a huge factor and the challenge is farmers do not have a know how on what to do with the chickens in this hot weather and also the required specifications for fowl runs.
“To save the chickens we just try to increase water stations and also pouring water on the birds, we cannot do anything honestly,” said Ngonidzashe.
Another farmer Melania Kandimiri said she was picking up dead birds from the fowl run every day and the routine was becoming normal.
“We are experiencing high mortality of birds due to the heatwave we are currently experiencing here in Masvingo, I have lost 11 birds in a few day and picking up dead birds is becoming a norm and we are now hopeless,” said Kandimiri.
Another local farmer, Ngonidzashe Mutume said he too was losing birds to heat stress and urged other farmers to try and have standard fowl runs, use stress pack and sprinkle water on the birds occasionally.
“Chickens are very sensitive birds and most farmers do not have standard fowl runs that allows proper ventilation, farmers must also ensure that they place as many water stations as possible as well as administering stress pack. It is also crucial that farmers sprinkle water on the birds occasionally to keep them cool,” said Mutume.
Masvingo Provincial Agritex Livestock Specialist Joseph Chipuri said heat stress was one of the silent killers in livestock production and saying it also reduces growth in broilers and layers.
“The 2023/24 season has been predicted to have normal to below normal rainfall and the forecast is characterized by high temperatures and in livestock production, the high temperatures leads to heat stress which is one of the silent killers in livestock production.
“In poultry heat reduces growth in broilers and layers and also contributes to series of physiological disturbances including systematic immune dysregulation, endocrine disorders, respiratory alka losses and electrolyte imbalance which affect health and production.
“Increase in temperature leads to mortality, reduced egg production and feed intake, we advise our farmers to take cognizance of some mitigatory measures which include ventilation, sprinkle water, provide shade as well as the use of right diets to reduce heat stress in poultry,” said Chipuri.
Another expert, Tarusenga Munyanyi said heat stress management is a requisite in saving the situation and that included making sure there was enough ventilation
“Heat stress management requires giving birds enough water, provide enough ventilation by ensuring the houses are opened up and make sure the birds have enough water and also add vitamins to the drinking water to maintain homeostasis and manage electrolyte loss in the body.
“Farmers also need to address the issue of overcrowding in fowl runs, smallholder farmers can put a bit of grass on top of the roof or rather pour water on top of the roof sheets to cool the roofing material as heat stress is difficult to mitigate. Farmers also need to ensure that when birds have reached slaughter weight they have to be sold.
“For layers, farmers need to ensure that they feed them early in the morning and late in the afternoon as they cannot feed during the day and will be using a lot of energy so there is a need for ensuring they have sufficient energy earlier before the hot hours. During the hotter part of the day birds do not need to be disturbed and need to be kept calm,” he said.

‘Command’ fire tender deal: Masvingo City Council receives three

TellZim News
-
0
‘Command’ fire tender deal: Masvingo City Council receives three

Courage Dutiro

Masvingo City Council received three new fire tenders bought through use of the government’s ‘command’ Belarus fire tender deal on November 29.
The deal was that, government was going to procure fire tenders on behalf of all local authorities utilizing the 2022 Devolution fund allocations.
Even though a number of local authorities tried to resist, the deal sailed.
Newly elected Masvingo City Mayor Alec Tabe said the new service delivery vehicles were going to assist residents and those in transit using the highways in case of accidents.
“We have been experiencing challenges whenever a fire breaks out but these three fire trucks are going to improve our service delivery.
“We are going to strategically position them so that we are able to attend fire scenes in areas around Masvingo Urban or accident scenes along the highways in time,” said Tabe.
Masvingo City Council had only two fire trucks before the government of Zimbabwe chipped in with the ‘command’ Belarus fire tender deal.
According to Masvingo City Council’s Finance and General Purposes Committee Meeting minutes of July 19, 2022, the local authority turned down the deal noting that fire tenders were not a priority to the Municipality during that period.
“The 2022 Devolution fund allocation was ZWL$253 107 300 and council was being advised to reprioritize the Devolution Funds to accommodate the cost of the fire tenders.
“The committee counter proposed that the government should consider procuring two refuse trucks, a tipper truck, grader and an ambulance for the city using the devolution funds in place of the fire tenders as they were not a priority for the city,” read part of the minutes.
The minutes also indicated that the City of Masvingo was to get only two fire tenders at a cost of USD464 396 each.
In Masvingo province, the deal was not only turned down by Masvingo City Council but by several other municipalities including Zaka Rural District Council however it all fell on government’s deaf ears.
Former Masvingo City mayor Collen Maboke then said the fire engines were good service delivery apparatus but the government should consult before it pokes its nose on local authorities’ businesses.
“I wish if the central government could consult with local authorities whenever they want to interfere with council businesses.
“I appreciate the fire engines are good however the local authorities were not consulted. Proper procedures were not followed but the vehicles are nice,” said Maboke.

Man kills brother over rituals

TellZim News
-
0
Man kills brother over rituals

Tanyaradzwa Tizora

Alward Zengwa, a 33-year-old man from Zvamatsai village under Chief Mabika in Bikita is on the run after he allegedly killed his brother Zirwere Zirwere (60) from the same village on November 26 2023 for allegedly refusing to consult traditional healers as a family and appease the spirit of a dead person so as to get rid of misfortunes the accused was encountering.
Masvingo Acting Provincial Police Spokesperson Assistant Inspector Lorraine Ndlovu Chanakira confirmed the incident and appealed to members of the public with information on the whereabouts of the suspect to come forward.
“I can confirm that we received a murder case from Bikita where a man allegedly killed his brother for failing to comply with the Chief’s order to engage a traditional healer to get rid of the accused’s misfortunes.
We are appealing to members of the public with information that may lead to the arrest of the accused to come forward” said Ndlovu.
Sources said the accused person left his father, who is the informant in the matter, together with brothers Simbaguru Zengwa (35) and Effort Zengwa (30) and went to the now deceased’s’ place to confront him and get an explanation on why he had failed to comply with the local Chief’s instructions that the family should seek assistance from a traditional healer and appease the avenging spirit of a dead person to get rid of some misfortunes.
The accused found his brother sitting outside and asked him why he could not comply with the Chief’s instructions.
Zirwere did not respond to his brother, which angered Zengwa who took a wooden log and hit his brother twice on the head. He took a switch and hit him several times all over the body. Zirwere then fell and started bleeding from the nose after sustaining multiple injuries including a swollen head. Zengwa fled the scene leaving him unconscious.
After about an hour, the accused’s two brothers followed him at the now deceased place, saw the deceased’s state after which they advised their father that the accused had seriously assaulted the now deceased leading to his death.
The matter was reported at Mashoko Police and the deceased’s body was taken to Masvingo Provincial Hospital for postmortem.

Masvingo City commemorates 16 days of activism against GBV

TellZim News
-
0
Masvingo City commemorates 16 days of activism against GBV

Bright Zhou

Masvingo City Council in partnership with other organisations has joined the global community in commemorating 16 days of activism against gender-based violence to raise awareness and empower girls and women at an event held on November 29, 2023 at Charles Austin Theatre.
This year’s commemorations are running under the theme ‘unite, invest to prevent violence against women and girls and the Masvingo event saw a number of organisations like Zimbabwe Gender Commission, Ministry of Women Affairs Community Small and Medium Enterprises Development, Women Coalition of Zimbabwe, Zimbabwe Women Lawyers Association (ZWALA), Zimbabwe Association of Church related Hospitals (ZACH) taking part.
Local schools including Don Bosco Primary School, Victoria Primary, Dikwindi Primary, Hillside, Helen McGhie, Rujeko Secondary and Mucheke High Schools attended the event.
Ministry of women Affairs’ representative Piwai Ziso said people should end violence against women and girls in communities and urged the two groups to urgently report cases of violence saying that was a step in ending GBV..
“People should end violence against women and girls in society and women should be aware of channels followed to report such cases and they should share them in the society to make sure that everyone knows what to do when faced with the social ill. People should report to any nearest police station, childline, or to call 116,” said Ziso.
Ziso said violence against women was preventable but it needed collective effort from everyone.
“Violence against women is not inevitable, it is preventable and that is why we are calling upon the society to unite, invest to prevent violence against women and girls and if you know someone who has been sexually abused, tell them to visit the nearest clinic within seventy-two hours.
Masvingo junior councillor Vimbainashe Chinongo said the society had a mandate to protect the girl child through empowerment and respecting rights.
“Girl child empowerment is important in the society and people should always give a girl child a chance, sometimes girls are going for drug and substance abuse because the community is neglecting them, the society should empower them by respecting their rights and not abuse them,” said Chinongo.
Zimbabwe Gender Commission coordinator Masvingo region Haward Vhurana said the duty of ZGC was to empower women and girls in the community by protecting them from gender-based violence as well as to work on gender equity.
“The main objective of the organisation is to empower women and girls in the community by protecting them from gender-based violence and providing gender equity to both women and girls in the society,” said Vhurana.
Vhurana added that women and girls can get support from the Department of Social Services, girl child protection committee members, trusted community members or children’s organisations that may help to overcome gender-based violence in the society.
Gender Focal Person, Alice Mashinge said women and girls with disabilities were vulnerable to sexual abuse and they need protection from organisations dealing with gender issues.
“We urge both women and girls with disabilities to know that they are vulnerable to sexual abuse and exploitation and gender-based organisations will prevent and protect them from gender-based violence,” said Mashinge.

VP Mohadi urges leaders to prioritize youth in trade, commerce

TellZim News
-
0
VP Mohadi urges leaders to prioritize youth in trade, commerce

Beverly Bizeki

The Vice President Kembo Mohadi has urged the leadership in Masvingo province to ensure that youths were given a role in trade and commerce as they capitalize on export market available in the city.
Speaking at a luncheon meeting held at Urban Lifestyles Hotel in Masvingo whose theme was ‘competitive neutrality, the contribution of business and industry to the attainment of vision 2030 agenda’ recently where stakeholders converged to discuss the development of the country Mohadi said it was important that leaders prioritize youths.
“Let us ensure that youths from Masvingo are accorded a role in trade and commerce since this province is the gateway to export markets from this corridor. I wish deliberate opportunities in the supply chain of export markets be availed to youths.
“I call upon leadership at all levels of our governance systems to prioritize youths in allocation of resources. Our youths need to participate in farming, tourism, mining and all other sectors of our economy,” said Mohadi.
Mohadi also urged the public and private sectors to afford youths an opportunity to promote Masvingo’s cultural heritage as this is an industry of opportunities.
“I call upon the public and private sectors from Masvingo to embrace the cultural heritage of this great province to ensure that youths can be afforded the opportunity to promote the rich cultural heritage of Masvingo. Promotion of our cultural heritage is itself an industry of opportunity,” he said.
On drugs and substance abuse, Mohadi urged the corporate world to assist in creating safe community zones by availing funds to fight the scourge.
“I urge the corporate world to avail funds towards fighting drug and substance abuse. The aim for such interventions is to create safe community zones for our youths. The youth is where our future rests as a country. The business world is obliged to help provide a conducive environment for the industrial world and skills training for youths,” he said.
Mohadi also urged the youths to shun drugs and take advantage of endowments such as agriculture in order to meaningfully participate in the development of the country.
“May I hasten to point the obvious that Zimbabwe is endowed with land suitable for agriculture. Such endowment comes with potential for breadbasket status for the world. I therefore challenge youths to leverage on the endowments which make Zimbabwe competitive in global economics.
“Let our youth shun drugs and refrain from all social vices if they wish to meaningfully participate in the development of their motherland Zimbabwe,” said Mohadi.
Mohadi also urged youths to develop an appetite for skills towards the demand of the industry.

Chiredzi Town Council resolves to clear vendors from streets

TellZim News
-
0
Chiredzi Town Council resolves to clear vendors from streets

…registers kombis and Mushikashika

Beatific Gumbwanda

Chiredzi Town Council recently took decisive actions to address the issue of illegal vendors on the streets, by adopting the escalation of penalties from US$2 to US$5 to discouraging illegal vendors operating from undesignated areas.
Additionally, the council proposed the implementation of electronic boom gates at bus termini, which serves a dual purpose: to curb corruption by preventing cashiers from accepting bribes and to facilitate the registration of all kombis and pirate taxis operating in Chiredzi.
These steps are designed not only to restore order but also to enhance the local authority’s revenue streams.
Giving her presentation during the second ordinary full council meeting, Audit Committee Chairperson, Sekai Njanjure said all buses that use the two terminuses were not being recorded hence the need to introduce electronic boom gates to account for all the buses that come in and out.
“The ranks are holding many buses than those that are paying to the local authority hence we need to introduce electronic boom gates to monitor cash flows as well as reduce corruption by council cashiers,” said Njanjure.
Finance and General-Purpose Committee Chairperson Vimbai Ushe, also highlighted the need to hike fines from US$2 to US$5 in order to encourage vendors to operate from designated places.
“Illegal vending fines should rise from US$2 to US$5. We cannot implement that now of course, but that will be effected after vendors have been placed into various designated places to operate from,” said Ushe.
Council Chaiperson James Charumbira weighed in saying vendors had proper and adequate vending designated places where they are supposed to be operating from so there was no reason for having vendors in streets.
“Vendors have proper vending designated places which they should get back to and the illegal vending fines should be raised to US$5 per day to those who shall be caught operating on the streets,” said Charumbira.
Finance Director, Llyod Musasa also said illegal vendors were disadvantaging big corporates that pay huge taxes by operating in front of their stores.
“We also have vendors that are operating in front of big corporates that pay huge taxes, they need to be moved from those places,” said Musasa.
However, Chiredzi Town Council Town Secretary, Engineer Kauma highlighted that there was need to account for the two-dollar fines before implementing the US$5 dollars.
“We need to collect more as highlighted by the Audit Chair. There are a lot of areas that are not paying anything to the council and we need to change our culture in collecting these fines and fees. We need to introduce the five-dollar fines to the stubborn illegal vendors but meanwhile, we should continue with the two-dollar fines until we have accounted for the money being collected,” said Kauma.

Councilors’ clash over funeral speech in new twist

TellZim News
-
0
Councilors’ clash over funeral speech in new twist

….plot thickens as Masunda files formal complaint

Brighton Chiseva

ZAKA – The saga between two Zanu PF Councilors, Livison Paradza and Beatrice Masunda, from Ward 9 in Zaka, who recently clashed over a funeral speech, has escalated to new heights after Masunda threw a dramatic twist into the turmoil by filing a formal complaint of abuse and victimization.
In a letter seen by this publication, Masunda’s complaint has been dispatched to an extensive list of recipients, including Zaka Rural District Council, Zaka Central MP, the Office of the President and Cabinet, Zaka District Development Coordinator (DDC), Zaka Zanu PF District Coordinating Committee (DCC) chairperson, Zanu PF provincial chairperson, and the provincial women’s league chair, among other influential figures.
Paradza is the ward sitting councilor while Masunda got in through proportional representation and according to a local arrangement, she was assigned to work mainly in wards 9, 13, 14, and 15.
In the letter, which was copied to a number of authorities both in party structures and in government the councilor said she was verbally abused and was being distracted from executing her duties.
“I hereby write to present a grievance against the above-stated Councilor over a verbal abuse incident among a plethora of other such incidents which I priorly have deliberately let go unrecorded and unsaid with the hope that the working relationship between me in my capacity as a Proportional Representation (PR) /Women Quota Councillor resident in Ward 9- Zaka Central Constituency and the above stated Councilor would improve,” reads part of the letter.
On November 14, Masunda attended a funeral in ward 9 at Choga homestead, which Paradza did not attend most probably because he was at work since he is a teacher at a local school.
As the only councilor present at the funeral, Masunda claims that during the course of the funeral proceedings, she was accorded a privilege to relay a condolence message to the bereaved family which she did.
“I as the councilor present on site, during the course of the funeral proceedings, was accorded the privilege to relay a condolence message to the bereaved family and the community members (males and females) present which I did in confidence.
“This did not go down well with my colleague Councilor who after getting wind of this particular incident later called me at a date and time already stated above indicating that I had overstepped my responsibilities and mandate as a PR Councilor,” read part of the letter.
In the audio, Paradza told Masunda that she could not proceed to any gathering or any such social events or address the Ward 9 community without his consent and that the PR councillor was inferior since they had not garnered direct votes from the electorate so they should stay away and confine themselves to women issues only.
In the letter, Masunda said she was no longer able to discharge her duties well after the intimidation and sought protection as her name and image were being soiled.
“I can no longer execute my duties as mandated, am not psychologically well as I continue to visualize the monster personality in my colleague Councilor who I however revere so much. I am also afraid that my confidence, personal image, and integrity as a public figure continue to be eroded as my counterpart continues to spread word in Ward 9 that the PR (Woman Quota) Councillor post is not authentic. It is very unfortunate that my colleague Councillor continues to betray the social trust and responsibility bestowed on him by the electorate – “to be the social custodian of the community, women inclusive bearing in mind that women are naturally more vulnerable than men and always look up for protection from men,” said Masunda in the letter.
However, other sources said the matter was not between the two but between Paradza and the Member of Parliament for Zaka Central Davis Marapira who is alleged to have assigned PR councilors in his constituency to different wards for easy coordination and this did not go down well with the male councilors who felt that Marapira was overriding them and working with women.
“The feud is between Paradza and Marapira as well as some Zaka Central councilors like Tererai Tererai of ward 8 and Hakufiwi Hakufiwi of ward 18 as well as Paradza who are being alleged to be siding with Marapira’s party rivalry Manfred Mada who lost to him in the party primaries and eyeing the seat in 2028,” the source said.
Contacted for comment earlier Provincial party chair Robson Mavenyengwa seemed to have sided with Paradza saying PR councilors should seek permission and should address gatherings in consultation with the ward councilor.
Interestingly, Zaka RDC chairperson is a woman who got in through the quota system.

Gweru mayor’s cheer fund launched, targets ‘US$50K’

TellZim News
-
0
Gweru mayor’s cheer fund launched, targets ‘US$50K’

Tinaani Nyabereka

Gweru City Council recently launched its 2023 Mayor’s Christmas Cheer Fund with a target of US$50 000 which is expected to benefit, marginalized groups in the community.
The launch was attended by various stakeholders and the business community.
Speaking at the launch, Gweru Mayor Martin Chivhoko said he valued the support from the business community and their coming at the event was a commitment towards improving the welfare of marginalized groups.
“The Cheer fund is done with the purpose of helping underprivileged members, I am deeply honored that you have come to support us.
“This shows the commitment that you have in ensuring that during the festive season we support the underprivileged in our different communities.
“The festive season is a time of giving where most families enjoy each other’s company through exchange of gifts and goods. However, some members of our community barely make ends meet, hence I call upon all our honored guests and members of the public to kindly help in cash or kind.” he said
He added through the fund, beneficiaries were going to have a memorable Christmas and said the amount will help in different ways depending on the need of the beneficiaries.
“It is through your help and support that the Cheer fund beneficiaries in our society also manage to celebrate Christmas.
“The target of this year’s donations is US$50 000 which is intended to help the beneficiaries in either educational aid or day to day living needs.
“I want to take this opportunity to also call upon the business community to take up social responsibilities through educational aid by paying school fees for students to a level where they can stand on their own feet.
“My words alone are not enough to show you how grateful I am. However, I am certain that your kindness will not go in vain as those who will receive the donations will forever be grateful to you,” said Chivhoko.
Young Voice Disability Zimbabwe Director, Nyasha Mahwende however expressed gratitude to council for remembering Persons with disability through the Cheer fund.
The Village Lodge donated 100 x 10 Kg of mealie meal while Linda Rose, an individual in the tourism industry, donated 20 × 2 litres of cooking oil. Several companies and individuals donated undisclosed amounts of money.

1...171172173...960Page 172 of 960